I made a goal for myself to write a ‘recap’ of each month until this little bean turned a year old and obviously I’m off to a great start! Not... This little girl turned a month old over two weeks ago but for my own sake, and hopefully for the sake of memories I’m not giving up yet!
More than once I’ve heard the comment, “One is heaven, two is doable and three is just playing defense.” Well, three is wonderfully exhausting!
I soak up the moments I have nursing this little one- something about knowing I can provide for a need no one else can is a sweet feeling.
I constantly lose track of time when she falls asleep in my arms or peacefully on my chest. I can’t help but respond by snuggling in closer and taking my own nap.
I explode with pure joy whenever she displays a ‘scrunchy’ smiles. The way she crinkles her nose and grins just melts my heart!
I often find myself quite taken with her tiny, yet long fingers, her wispy eyelashes, beautiful lips, chubby cheeks, heavenly dark hair, and her gentle nature. To make a long story short, I’m in love with her.
As a mom I relish my snuggle time, and at the same time I look around and see two other faces. Two other munchkins that have been absolutely patient. Mercedes looks for every reason, excuse and opportunity to hold her little sister. Bridger loves her but takes on binky duty over diapers. Smart kid already. But I have caught him stroking her head and whispering to her on a few special occasions.
I will admit I oftentimes feel a bit guilty. I look at my little Bridger, my snuggle buddy and feel I haven’t been able to give him enough of me. I look at Mercedes and realize I’ve told her I would take her to deliver Christmas gifts to her friends everyday for the past week and yet they still sit on my counter. I start the day listing everything that needs to be done, then I chose 1-3 items from that list. I know I can’t do it all. I made a promise to myself that I would take the time to enjoy this new baby stage and worry less about ‘getting things done.’ It’s hard to describe, I am absolutely loving this newborn baby stage and everything that comes with it, and then I have another box of feelings right next to it wondering how I can give each of my children the love and attention daily that they deserve. I remember wondering how I could love another child way back when I was pregnant with Bridger. This time it isn’t a matter of if I could love another child, it’s been a matter of how can I SHOW that love to each of them adequately.
I try to give myself some grace and patience while trying to find balance in our new life.
So in the meantime, Bridger takes every opportunity he can to snuggle next to me- while I feed Kenzie, while we watch a movie, and especially in the morning when I’m still in bed. I love it! Mercedes is as independent as ever but she soaks up her time with mom during ‘school time,’ and seems to love playing mom around the house. The other night she sat and watched Kenzie- a girl who can be comforted with a binky but does not want to be left alone while I cooked dinner. At one point Kenzie was ready to eat again, so Mercedes and I swapped places, she stirred dinner and I took baby. From the other room I hear Mercedes comment, “Gosh being a mom is hard work...” I couldn’t help but smile at her discovery.
In Miss Kenzie’s first month:
Thoroughly enjoys sleeping on her side and on my chest
I love how content she seems to be in her car seat- thank goodness! We’ve taken a few 2+ hour drives in the past month (one way) and she’s handled the journey like a champ!
Scrunchy smiles starting at four weeks old.
Like her older brother, she is camera shy. She puts on the best faces but when we try to document the moment, she suddenly puts a halt to that idea...
I think she’s going to be a water baby. This girl loves to be in the water. She spreads her arms and legs out, closes her eyes and soaks up the warm water. I still say it’s the best way to relax and de-stress!
Sometimes I feel like the first few months you are just trying to survive and make each day feel a little more like normal...but in the meantime there are a few items I have LOVED and really have become lifesavers in our house. If you are needing a few gift ideas for that special mama to be in your life, here are a few suggestions...
A Few of My Favorite Things:
Minky Blankets- I have always been a sucker for soft and cozy blankets but Minky blankets have my heart. Not only are they cozy they are so dang warm! They are my number 1 fav especially for those wintertime babies!
Stretchy Pants- Mercedes commented one day, “Mom, you sure do love those stretchy pants, you don’t wear your other pants very often...” I personally am just proud I don’t wear my jammies 24/7. Stretchy pants are lifesavers and if I want to step up my look, all I have to do is throw on a pair of tennis shoes and it looks like I’ve been working out- win win right!
My current gym membership is to Atkinson Laundry, it’s open pretty much 24/7 and is located in my basement a billion steps down...That’s plenty of workin out for me!
Johnson Pads (they come in a pink box)- I used these with my other two babies and I swear by them, I would use these all day every day but I’ve found some reusable ones that I have liked so I don’t use these as often as I have in the past, but still HIGHLY recommend them if you don’t want to use reusable! These hold a lot of moisture, never leak (and I produce quite a bit of milk), they fit nicely, and even better they are basically invisible under clothing. (Other brands seemed to show through clothing or make the crinkly noise which gave their presence away...)
Can be found at Walmart and on Amazon
Rebabies- If you are looking for a re-usable option
Pros: Re-usable, they’ve never leaked, soft, easy to maintain (laundering wise- you just throw them in with the rest of your laundry no special instructions. I really hate special instructions!), relatively cheap to buy, and they get the job done!
Cons:
They tend to feel ‘damp’ on your skin instead of ‘wicking’ the moisture away if you’ve had a lot of leakage.
Purchased on Amazon
Bath bombs- When I got home from the hospital I couldn’t wait to get into the tub! Not only did I feel SO MUCH cleaner but after a good scrub down, I set the plug and sat down for a glorious soak and the bathbomb I had was put to good use! It may have only been a 15 minute soak but I felt so much better afterwards! Some of my favorites have been homemade, but I also love the kind you buy out of the jars at Stokes or Broulims, or if you are in the Tremonton area, Willow Peach Tree has a heavenly supply!
Pebble Ice- Don’t laugh but I purchased some silicone molds off of Amazon. Something about the sound of those tiny cubes swishing around in my water is therapeutic!
Lastly, one item I have absolutely adored is Carter Nightgowns. They have an elastic at the bottom so I would just slide the nightie over her head- so easy which also leads to super easy and quick diaper changes! I highly recommend getting a few even if it’s just for the first few weeks! They are well used at our house!
